Jackson Irvine understands why some footballers won't feel comfortable speaking out on social issues.
It's why this World Cup, the veteran midfielder believes the Socceroos are their own political statement.
Irvine, 33, has always been progressive and outspoken - be it about human rights ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, LGBTIQ+ rights or Palestine.
In April, the FC St. Pauli captain made waves in a Reuters interview where Irvine said FIFA awarding its inaugural Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump made a "mockery" of its own human rights charter.
Irvine was surprised by how far that story travelled.
"But listen, that's the nature of modern sport now," Irvine told AAP.
"I suppose when you express a wide opinion like that, it's naturally going to make a few waves."
Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster last week spoke about the "chilling" of the athlete voice at this World Cup, with footballers scared to speak up about human rights amid concerns for the safety of their family, friends, colleagues and fans.
Irvine, the co-president of players union Professional Footballers Australia and FIFPRO's Global Player Council, understands why players don't speak up - and why his role in providing workers with a voice matters.
"It's difficult all the time - it's just the nature of the world of football itself," Irvine said.
"I've always said I don't blame anyone who keeps those opinions to themselves.
"I come from an incredibly privileged position to be able to say what I think and believe without fear of any kind of real backlash - I do it from a position (that's) very comfortable, safety.
"So I appreciate that it's much easier for someone like me to express his opinion broadly.
"Being a part of the players' associations in football as well is another big part of that.
"As players and as workers, within this industry it's important that if you're in that position - like I'm in now as a co-president of Australia's and also the global union - you speak about what football's role in the world can be and should be."
That said, this time around, Irvine and the Socceroos aren't doing any dramatic gesture like their pre-Qatar video about human rights.
They're letting the make-up of the team speak for itself.
"The stories that exist within this team and the values that we try to encapsulate is like the statement in itself," Irvine said.
"That's who we are and what we represent."
In a moment where right-wing anti-immigration and racist sentiment is on the rise in Australia, Irvine looks at this team as something that genuinely reflects the country and its strengths.
This is a team featuring migrants - including former refugees - and the sons of migrants, and six players of African descent.
In addition Paul Okon-Engstler is half Cuban, Nishan Velupillay is of Tamil descent and there are players with backgrounds from Turkey, Italy and the Balkans.
Harry Souttar never set foot in Australia before playing for the Socceroos, while Alessandro Circati, Cristian Volpato (both Italy) and Irvine (Scotland) are among those who played youth football for other countries.
"As someone who isn't by nature a nationalistic or patriotic kind of person, my deepest connection to everything Australia is through this team,' Irvine said.
"That's what makes it so beautiful, is that it tells those stories organically. These guys, their very presence in this team is like the beauty of what Australia is and the opportunity that it can bring and what football does to the world.
"This team sometimes speaks for itself without even having to force it. It's just there. It's beautiful.
"There's going to be an entirely new generation of people who connect to this team in probably a way that we've never seen before - and that's so great for the game and the country as a whole."
Irvine still pinches himself that he's headed to a third World Cup.
The midfielder has had a lot on his mind in recent months, captaining St Pauli in a season where the club was relegated from the Bundesliga.
But he was also in his own fight.
In January, the Socceroos midfield stalwart suffered a recurrence of the left foot stress fracture that previously ruled him out of World Cup qualifiers.
St Pauli initially said Irvine would be sidelined "indefinitely" - but he was back on the bench barely a week later.
Irvine was managed through the back end of the season but is now in the clear.
"Not just scared - I was told that I wouldn't make it," Irvine said.
"That was the reality I was faced with a few months ago."
He pays tribute to medical staff with the Socceroos, St Pauli and beyond.
"We've got me into a rhythm and into a place where I've been able to play Bundesliga and play one of the top leagues in the world and perform and come in here and be in a place where I can contribute," he said.
Irvine still doesn't know if he'll require surgery once the World Cup is done.
But he's not thinking about that yet, with his eyes firmly fixed on this campaign.
"It was a wild ride, it's been a rollercoaster year," he said.
"And I'm just grateful, thankful that those pieces have come together to allow me to be here."
